KARACHI, May 7: Availability of basic civic amenities is the most pressing problem in coastal areas of Karachi and a large number of fishermen in these areas live in an abject poverty due to neglect by concerned authorities, a survey shows.

Community representatives and NGOs have been lobbying for redressal of their grievances for the past many years but so far their efforts could not produce any tangible results. For years, these communities have been depending on fisheries resources.

According to local community and NGO leaders, rampant unemployment has made the life of fisherfolk miserable as for years, no planned activity had been carried out to provide these people with an alternative means of income and they have no other activity except fishing.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and Pakistan Mahigir Tehrik have recently organized two separate events and prominently highlighted the problems being faced by the fishermen community in the coastal areas of Sindh, including those around Karachi.

They pointed out that poverty and lack of civic amenities are the basic problems being faced by the fishermen communities in the coast of Sindh, saying most of the fishermen, who live in small villages consisting of mainly wooden huts and semi-pucca houses, are deprived of basic amenities, such as water, electricity, health and education facilities etc.

Most of these villages show a dismal picture of abject poverty here bare-footed children are seen playing with mud.

This is common sight whether one visits Hawkesbay villages, Baba Bhitt , Ibrahim Haideri , Rehri, Mubarak village or any other village or locality in Keamari Town.

It has been observed that mostly people in these villages are not aware of modern concept of health, education and other facilities. Perhaps, it is because of this factor, that the government agencies have not taken any step for their betterment.

The exact number of fishermen villages could not be ascertained officially, but a survey shows there are hundreds of villages in the coastal areas of Thatta, Badin and Karachi.

Fishery sources claim that the coastal resources of Sindh still remain untapped and need more mechanization and greater fleet for being property exploited. But the indigenous fishermen have always claimed a major decrease in the fish species.

They said a number of species, which were once found in abundance have now completely become extinct.

They attributed this to activity of deep-sea trawlers and use of destructive nets in the creeks. According to them, the major cause of decrease in the fish catch, which has led to a large scale unemployment among the fishermen, has been over-fishing and operation of foreign trawlers being described as factory ships.

NGOs working for the welfare of these fishermen have always demanded provision of basic amenities and provisions of alternative income-incoming generating means for the fishermen, so as to bring changes in their living standards.

For this, they suggest that efforts be made to improve road network , besides water, electricity, health and education facilities be provided to each settlement of fishemen. and at the same time steps should be taken for creating new income-generating activities.

For women, they suggest that steps be taken to promote skill development projects enabling them to take up home-based employment or jobs in the service sector of the economy.